More than a game [a Damian Priest story]

24 Complete

"Welcome home, mi ángel!" said Damian to Lucia as he carried her into the house in her baby carrier. Ever since he first saw her, he couldn't get the smile off his face. He was a proud father and I was sure that as soon as our little lady would be interested in boys, Damian would be fuming with jealousy.

Fortunately, that was many, many years in the future. We enjoyed our time with her completely. The road here led through pain, loss and grief, but in the end we were exactly where we wanted to be.

Damian carefully carried our daughter to her room and then knelt down to unbuckle her. Just then she opened her big eyes.

"Oh look at you my little sweetheart! You're the cutest little thing I've ever seen. Well, next to your mama." he cooed to the bundle in his arms.

"It's okay. You didn't have to add that last part." I laughed.

"It's still true." he replied, leaning in to kiss me.

"I love you, fiancée!" he whispered.

"Love you too, fiancé! And you too, angel!" I replied, giving Lucia a light kiss on the forehead.

"Okay, where were we? Oh yeah... this is your room, mi ángel. What do you think?" said Damian to her. Lucia immediately started crying and her Papá looked at her in disappointment.

"What's the matter? Don't you like your room?" he asked worriedly. I couldn't help but laugh.

"D, please don't be silly. She's hungry. I'm sure once she gets a real sense of the room, she'll love it." I explained with a grin.

"Oh... yes, you're right. I'm just so excited to have her home." he explained as he handed me the fussy girl.

"I know and it's really cute." I replied and gave him another quick kiss before sitting down in the rocking chair to nurse Lucia.

"My little baby, you have a very special person for a father. He doesn't give up so quickly when he wants something. And that's a good thing, otherwise I wouldn't be able to hold you in my arms right now. I promise you that we will do everything for you. But I already have the feeling that I always have to be the bad cop. Because you've already got your Papá wrapped around your finger," I said softly as Lucia drank and Damian went to the car to get the rest of our things.

"She's got you wrapped around her finger just the same, mi querida!" I heard Damian say softly from the doorway. He was leaning against the door frame, looking at us.

"Yes, that's true. Still, I think she'll have a better chance of getting things from you later." I replied with a wink.

"You'll probably have secret conversations in Spanish and then all she has to do is look at you with her big puppy eyes and you'll melt," I continued.

"Quite possibly," he agreed.

"I can't wait to marry you. It's about time!" he then said.

"We're going to do this as soon as possible, baby. You said it yourself... we should all have the same last name." I replied as Lucia burped and I then carried her over to the changing table to put a fresh diaper on her.

"That sounds like a plan." said Damian who came to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around me and resting his chin on my shoulder while I changed our daughter's diaper.

A contented sigh escaped him and I shared this feeling with him. We were tired, yet so happy. We were now complete. Well, for the moment anyway.